The Premier League Kick-off is in Sight

It is July 14th 2008, and there are still precisely 33 days until the new Premier League season kicks off here in England. The sun may have returned to its summer shine after a week of downpour, but still something remains missing from my life. A something that causes me to feel a catalogue of emotions every time I engage in it, a something that provides so many highs and lows, and so many dramas and talking points when it is in full flow.I may have just returned from a trip to Germany, in which I greatly appreciated the fantastic scenery of the breathtaking mountains, and quite beautiful castles I came across, but deep inside my football loving heart I feel an irregular beat. I could easily talk to somebody about the magic of my nine-day stay in the home of efficiency, but my words would not be uttered with as much excitement as if I were riveting on about a majestic goal I had seen scored last night. Everyone can enjoy the stunning tourist attractions of another country, and visiting different nations and experiencing different cultures is one of the great things involved in living the lives we do. But nothing makes my heart beat so quickly, and nothing produces such joy or anger on my teenage face, as a game of football involving my beloved Liverpool does. Simply nothing else in this fantastic world makes me feel the same way.Whether it be the nerves before a fixture commences, the delight at seeing one of my heroes strike a ball into the opposition’s net, or the pain at watching my team concede a last-minute winner, I can only feel the very extremes of all emotions during a football match. I am only 15 years of age of course, but never in my short life have I been through such pain as when Liverpool lost the Champions League final in 2007, or felt as ecstatic as when we won the same competition two years earlier in the most extraordinary of circumstances.And it is by no means just Liverpool matches that get my juices flowing. Watching games between clubs I feel totally neutral about can be absolutely pulsating too. For true football fans, seeing unbelievable long-range shots fly into the top corner or viewing an end-to-end thriller is what the beautiful game is all about. True football fans appreciate world-class talent, as well as having an opinion on the most talked about matters.So when all these emotions are snatched from our grasp for a few months, we experience withdrawal symptoms. We can no longer get so hyped up about a controversial penalty or lavish such praise on a battling defender who has kept one of the world’s greatest talents quiet for a whole 90 minutes.Everyone will find something to enjoy and cherish this summer, but when the domestic season starts again in mid-August our lives will once more be complete. We will put ourselves through the very depths of depression only to wake up the next morning and laugh about it when our team had eventually trudged through against all odds to the next round of some cup.Bring on the joy, bring on the pain and bring on the Premier League!